Somehow I think it wasn't only because he was black, but that he had prior brushes with the law and the prosecutor saw that combination as a win. Add in the evidence the prosecution hid and the win was a slam dunk. I bet the DA would go after a suspect who was black but had no priors but never say never.

Defense investigators located witnesses who said Fleming wasn't the gunman. And prosecutors found previously undisclosed documents in their own files that supported Fleming's alibi, including a hotel phone bill he paid in Orlando, Fla., about five hours before the shooting.

I.e. evidence previously ignored for the sake of getting a conviction.

The prosecutors should be, at minimum, investigated for potential disbarment, or more ideally, imprisonment themselves.

skinink:Somehow I think it wasn't only because he was black, but that he had prior brushes with the law and the prosecutor saw that combination as a win. Add in the evidence the prosecution hid and the win was a slam dunk. I bet the DA would go after a suspect who was black but had no priors but never say never.

Sounds like he had a rap sheet before the conviction. So...maybe he got the time he deserved for a crime he wasn't caught... Not saying it's right. Just saying that he didn't have a clear history, and that probably played a huge part.

Lesson here is not about being black, its don't be a career criminal and expect proper treatment from the courts.

Agent Smiths Laugh:Defense investigators located witnesses who said Fleming wasn't the gunman. And prosecutors found previously undisclosed documents in their own files that supported Fleming's alibi, including a hotel phone bill he paid in Orlando, Fla., about five hours before the shooting.

I.e. evidence previously ignored for the sake of getting a conviction.

The prosecutors should be, at minimum, investigated for potential disbarment, or more ideally, imprisonment themselves.

The prosecutor withheld exculpatory evidence, which they are obligated to disclose.

He's talking about writing a book, going to college, becoming a lawyer. Dude, you're 51. Work with a dramatist to put together a speech and go on a motivational speaking tour, forget about going back to school. That part of your life was taken, now use your personal story as an asset.

LarryDan43:That Guy What Stole the Bacon: There is nothing more important in our criminal justice system than the opportunity for a prosecutor to add another notch to their belt, right or not. NOTHING.

dustman81:Agent Smiths Laugh: Defense investigators located witnesses who said Fleming wasn't the gunman. And prosecutors found previously undisclosed documents in their own files that supported Fleming's alibi, including a hotel phone bill he paid in Orlando, Fla., about five hours before the shooting.

I.e. evidence previously ignored for the sake of getting a conviction.

The prosecutors should be, at minimum, investigated for potential disbarment, or more ideally, imprisonment themselves.

The prosecutor withheld exculpatory evidence, which they are obligated to disclose.

/Not a lawyer

Ding ding! A judge in texas just got tossed from the bench from a case he had prosecuted decades. Iirc, they determined the only criminal charge they could bring was contempt of court.

Gyrfalcon:But I was reliably informed that capital cases were never wrong, and there was no danger of someone being convicted and executed by mistake.

Of course there will always be that risk. The question is, what are going to do about it? Say "Oh, too bad", and award him a few million of taxpayer dollars? Or hold those responsible for sending an innocent man to jail... responsible?

BummerDuck:Sounds like he had a rap sheet before the conviction. So...maybe he got the time he deserved for a crime he wasn't caught... Not saying it's right. Just saying that he didn't have a clear history, and that probably played a huge part.

Lesson here is not about being black, its don't be a career criminal and expect proper treatment from the courts.

"Not saying it's right." But let me now rationalize as to why it's still his own fault and not necessarily unfair.

BummerDuck:Sounds like he had a rap sheet before the conviction. So...maybe he got the time he deserved for a crime he wasn't caught... Not saying it's right. Just saying that he didn't have a clear history, and that probably played a huge part.

Lesson here is not about being black, its don't be a career criminal and expect proper treatment from the courts.

And you're part of the problem. Once a criminal, always a criminal. Easier to ignore corruption in the system if it means more of THOSE people going to jail, am I right?

Into the blue again:skinink: Somehow I think it wasn't only because he was black, but that he had prior brushes with the law and the prosecutor saw that combination as a win. Add in the evidence the prosecution hid and the win was a slam dunk. I bet the DA would go after a suspect who was black but had no priors but never say never.

'But she was wearing revealing clothes, she was asking for it!'

What's your problem? I'm not blaming him. My point is the prosecutor was looking for the easiest way to win a conviction and Jonathan Fleming being black plus a criminal made the DA's work all the more easy. This guy did not deserve to be falsely accused, convicted and jailed no matter what his background. Whatever else you make of my comment is your own fault.

NIXON YOU DOLT!!!!!:Ding ding! A judge in texas just got tossed from the bench from a case he had prosecuted decades. Iirc, they determined the only criminal charge they could bring was contempt of court.

Granted, he was also disbarred, but a plea deal down to just 10 days in jail and a $500 fine? Way to stick it to him, Texas. Article here.

pedobearapproved:He probably did this to himself with not being open enough with law enforcement. I bet after they started accusing him even though he was in Disney he got a lawyer, big mistake.

That's false. When you are being investigated for a crime, you should never speak to the police without a lawyer. And a good lawyer will tell you to keep silent.

Remember, the police are allowed to lie to you during an interrogation. And their interrogators are professionals at using lies to coerce confessions. But If you lie, you can be charged with a crime and your credibility as a witness can be undermined.

To make matters worse, police can work to discredit anything you say, turning it into a lie in their eyes. Tell police that that you were at Location X last weekend? If they have a snitch that says you were at Location Y, a switch goes off in everyone's minds. It doesn't matter if the snitch is either credible or honest.

Lastly, the police may ask you to do things that you're not obligated to do. A lawyer will usually know, pushing back and requiring court orders as needed.

BummerDuck:Sounds like he had a rap sheet before the conviction. So...maybe he got the time he deserved for a crime he wasn't caught... Not saying it's right. Just saying that he didn't have a clear history, and that probably played a huge part.

Lesson here is not about being black, its don't be a career criminal and expect proper treatment from the courts.

Sorry. That's not how it's supposed to work in the USA. "He's surely guilty of something" is not the criteria for conviction. And, yes, even career criminals should be able to expect proper treatment from the cops, prosecutors, courts, and even the prison system.

Dinjiin:pedobearapproved: He probably did this to himself with not being open enough with law enforcement. I bet after they started accusing him even though he was in Disney he got a lawyer, big mistake.

That's false. When you are being investigated for a crime, you should never speak to the police without a lawyer. And a good lawyer will tell you to keep silent.

Remember, the police are allowed to lie to you during an interrogation. And their interrogators are professionals at using lies to coerce confessions. But If you lie, you can be charged with a crime and your credibility as a witness can be undermined.

To make matters worse, police can work to discredit anything you say, turning it into a lie in their eyes. Tell police that that you were at Location X last weekend? If they have a snitch that says you were at Location Y, a switch goes off in everyone's minds. It doesn't matter if the snitch is either credible or honest.

Lastly, the police may ask you to do things that you're not obligated to do. A lawyer will usually know, pushing back and requiring court orders as needed.

Don't Talk to the Police (YouTube)

Two things:1) You're arguing with a joke2) I can't imagine having him in lecture. SLOW. DOWN.

BummerDuck:Sounds like he had a rap sheet before the conviction. So...maybe he got the time he deserved for a crime he wasn't caught... Not saying it's right. Just saying that he didn't have a clear history, and that probably played a huge part.

Lesson here is not about being black, its don't be a career criminal and expect proper treatment from the courts.

If it happened to you would you think: "This is for all the times I probably drove technically DUI, and all those times I sped, and when I smoked illegal pot, and that time when I was 20 and I got drunk and got in a fight (oh yeah underage booze consumption, I got to pay for that), and that time I stole the neighbor's netflix dvd that was sitting on top of the communal mailbox, and those times I ate candy out of the bins at the grocery store, etc" But I'm sure you've never done anything illegal, ever.

skinink:Somehow I think it wasn't only because he was black, but that he had prior brushes with the law and the prosecutor saw that combination as a win. Add in the evidence the prosecution hid and the win was a slam dunk. I bet the DA would go after a suspect who was black but had no priors but never say never.

DA should have to spend 24 years in prison for that stunt. As people have already said and will say in this thread, prosecutors only care about the win, not any sort of justice. And no, there is no real punishment for them when they break the law, suppress evidence, and pull other stunts to get that win.